Martin Wickramasinghe Handwriting

Like most people who are enamored with the language, Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickramasinghe took pleasure in giving expression to his innermost thoughts and feelings through the strokes of his own handwriting. Even today, the very paper upon which he jotted down his ideas is preserved like a valuable asset, and kept from the damage that this type of material is usually susceptible to.

Samples of Martin Wickramasinghe's handwriting are not only in English, but also in Sinhala. Sinhala is an ancient script derived form Brahmi. Wickramasinghe was taught this alphabet by a monk called Andiris Gunananse, at the tender age of five years. It was only after that that he became fluent in English, as a result of attending an English school in Galle called Buena Vista. Wickramasinghe was always a staunch defender of Sri Lankan culture and traditions, hence the importance he placed upon the Sinhala language, both in written and oral form.